And Now for Something Completely Different (Harriet Hall) http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/and-now-for-something-completely-different/ In a departure from the usual single-topic posts, this post comments on several recent news items that are examples of science-based medicine in action. A baby may have been cured of AIDS, 2 people believed to be cured of AIDS relapsed, eating nuts may prolong your life, African Americans process vitamin D differently and may be falsely diagnosed as deficient, and a polio outbreak in China reminds us that no country is safe from polio.

An Apple A Day (Steven Novella) http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/an-apple-a-day/ A new study shows that eating an apple a day can reduce cardiovascular mortality as much as taking statin drugs. Science-based doctors are often accused of being shills for Big Pharma, but we are not. Rather than relying on drugs, we recommend improving health outcomes with evidence-based lifestyle changes.

More evidence that routine multivitamin use should be avoided (Scott Gavura) http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/more-evidence-that-routine-multivitamin-use-should-be-avoided/ Three new multivitamin studies published in the Annals of Internal Medicine confirm what we already knew: there is no compelling reason for most people to take regular vitamin supplements, and in some cases they can cause harm. An accompanying editorial admonishes patients to stop taking vitamins unless there is a specific medical indication for an individual supplement.